Distribution unit of a refrigerator and associated refrigerator

ABSTRACT

A refrigerator, including a distribution unit and a recess that has a rear wall. The rear wall includes a removable cover; and the refrigerator further includes at least one lead-guiding device that is provided in a region behind the removable cover towards the rear wall.

The present invention relates to a distribution unit of a refrigerator,comprising a recess with a removable rear wall that is equipped with acover. The distribution unit is used primarily for the distribution ofwater and ice cubes or crushed ice.

A refrigerator distribution unit of the type in question is described inDE 10 2004 013 432 A1. A refrigerator door comprising a dispenser isdisclosed therein. Said dispenser comprises an outer shell whichdetermines its external appearance. A first assembly frame and a secondassembly frame are assembled on the two lateral ends of the refrigeratordoor, featuring a first assembly slot and a second assembly slot whichare formed therein such that they face each other longitudinally. Thedispenser is removably connected to the front side of the outer shelland comprises a housing, wherein said housing determines the externalappearance of the dispenser and has a hollow section. Excluding an areain which the dispenser is installed, an external plate section isconnected to the front side of the outer shell in order to determine theappearance of the refrigerator door.

In addition to an optically attractive exterior of the cover itself, itis also important to ensure that any installation components are notobvious to the user. Until now, therefore, all installations have beendone from a housing interior of the distribution unit, in order that theinstallations are concealed. In a repair situation, it is howeverdisadvantageous that the installations are performed in the interior ofthe housing, because the appliance must be opened and resource-intensivedisassembly and assembly steps must be carried out in order to resolvethe fault or to replace defective installation components.

The object of the invention is to provide an easily accessible mountinglocation for installation components, which is nonetheless largelyconcealed.

The object is achieved by a refrigerator having the features in claim 1.By virtue of a lead-guiding device, which is also easily renderedinvisible by the cover, electrical leads or other leads can be securelyinstalled in their correct positions. By virtue of the arrangement ofthe lead-guiding device behind the cover, said cover acts as panelingfor the lead-guiding device at the same time, such that paneling partscan be economized.

As a result of equipping the rear wall with at least one lead-guidingdevice, the installations between an upper region of the distributionunit and a lower drip shelf can be guided behind a cover. In combinationwith the removability of the cover, the lead-guiding devices can easilybe made accessible thus. It is particularly advantageous to integratethe lead-guiding device in the rear wall. The lead-guiding device ispreferably formed in the rear wall as a unitary part in this case.Alternatively, the lead-guiding device can also be provided in the gapbetween the cover and the rear wall or also on the rear side of thecover. It is particularly advantageous if the lead-guiding device isintegrated in the rear side.

In the context of the inventive distribution unit for water and icecubes or crushed ice, the installation components and in particular theelectrical leads of a water level sensor and a water outlet hose aretucked away in a manner that is as far as possible invisible to theuser. The water outlet hose is used to guide drops of water or meltedwater, e.g. from an ice cube storage container which is arranged abovethe distribution unit, downwards into a drip shelf in a hidden manner,without any drops of water being discharged visibly. The hose that isrequired for this purpose is also guided downwards in a hidden manner,i.e. invisible to the user. The lead-guiding device is integrated intothe rear wall and in particular can form a unitary part with said rearwall.

In this case, the lead-guiding device can be formed by a groove-shapedinstallation channel which is open towards the cover. The installationsare therefore no longer guided in the interior of the appliance, i.e. nolonger on an inner side of the rear wall facing away from the cover.Instead, the groove-shaped installation channel can be arranged on thatside of the rear wall which faces towards the cover. As a result ofthis, the installations which are guided in the groove-shapedinstallation channel or channels are freely accessible immediately afterthe cover is removed, i.e. can easily be reached for the purpose ofresolving faults such as hose blockages or replacing defectiveelectrical leads, for example. The easier access also means simplerdisassembly and assembly of the installation components. In order tokeep the leads and installation channels hidden, they are lined by thecover. The hoses or electrical leads can therefore be held such thatthey run between rear wall and cover.

For the purpose of holding the leads, provision can be made forretaining tabs which at least partially cover an open longitudinal sideof the installation channel. The retaining tabs therefore form hooks,behind which the cable or cables can be inserted. The retaining tabs orhooks can be made of plastic and, in particular, can be produced as aunitary part with the rear wall. In order to fasten the leads behind theretaining tabs, catch tappets which surround the leads can be providedat the free ends of the retaining tabs, or a plurality of retaining tabswhich open in opposite directions can be arranged at intervals one abovethe other.

The groove-shaped installation channel can be provided for guidingelectrical leads of a liquid level sensor. The liquid level sensor hastwo metallic contact pins which extend into the drip shelf. Startingfrom these two contact pins, a shared electric lead or two separateelectric leads can extend from the drip shelf upwards to an analysisunit. The groove-shaped installation channel is used to create a freespace, in order that the electrical leads can be guided between rearwall and cover.

A lead-guiding device can be formed by means of at least one holder fora cable strap. Alternatively or additionally, the one or more leads canbe fastened to the rear wall by means of cable straps. The cable strapscan replace the retaining tabs which are otherwise required.

The holder can be formed by two openings in the rear wall, through whichthe cable strap is guided. As a result of configuring the holder as justtwo openings in the rear wall in each case, the leads or hoses can beheld on either side of the rear wall, either facing the cover or facingaway from the cover. In this way, the cable straps have the advantagethat the lead or the hose can be disassembled by severing the cablestrap from a front side of the rear wall when the cover is removed, andthe thus released leads or hoses can be pulled out (e.g. in a verticaldirection) without having to open the housing of the appliance.

The holder for guiding the lead can therefore be configured on a rearwall side which faces away from the cover. This can be advantageous inparticular if the lead is a hose for discharging water, said hosegenerally having a larger diameter than an electrical lead due to itsfunction. It is therefore possible that the hose has a diameter that istoo large for it to be guided between rear wall and cover. It is theneffective to have the hose running down a rear side of the rear wall,i.e. facing away from the cover, since there is generally more spaceavailable there. Even if the hose is held on the inner side of the rearwall, it can nonetheless be released easily because the cable strapsstill remain accessible from a front side of the rear wall via therecess of the distribution unit.

Consequently, the holder can be provided in particular for guiding ahose for the discharge of water from an upper region of the distributionunit into a drip shelf.

In all of the embodiments according to the invention, the cover can beformed by a stainless steel sheet that hides the at least onelead-guiding device.

The invention relates in particular to refrigerators, in particular fordomestic purposes, which have a distribution unit according to theinvention.

An embodiment of the invention is described with reference to adistribution unit which is illustrated by way of example in the figures.Further general features and advantages of the present invention arealso derived from the detailed description of this specific exemplaryembodiment.

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a distribution unit of a refrigeratorfor domestic purposes in a furniture door;

FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of the distribution unit with coverremoved;

FIG. 3 shows a sectional view through the distribution unit as per FIG.2 along the line A-A with leads installed;

FIG. 4 shows a sectional view through the distribution unit as per FIG.2 along the line B-B without leads;

FIG. 5 shows a magnified perspective partial view with a device forholding the leads at a retaining tab;

FIG. 6 shows a magnified perspective partial view with a holder for acable strap.

A distribution unit 1 as per FIG. 1 has a water dispenser and/or icedispenser 2, which is arranged on a rear side of a furniture door 3. Thefurniture door 3 has an opening for a recess 4 of the distribution unit1. The recess 4 is surrounded by a recess frame 5. A delivery chute 6for either ice or water is arranged at an upper end of the recess 4. Adrip strainer 7 which covers a drip shelf 8 is located at a lower end ofthe recess 4. Between delivery chute 6 and drip shelf 8, a cover 9extends into the recess. The cover 9 has a concave section 10 and twoopposing edge sections 11 a and 11 b. The edge section 11 a, shown onthe left in FIG. 1, lies on a first front seating surface 12 a of therecess frame 5. The edge section 11 b, shown on the right in FIG. 1,lies on a second front seating surface 12 b of the recess frame 5.

In FIG. 2, the distribution unit 1 is shown without a furniture door 3and with cover 9 removed. A rear wall 13 of the distribution unit istherefore substantially illustrated. The rear wall 13 is curved in atrough-shaped manner, corresponding to the shape of the recess 4. Therear wall 13 extends vertically in a groove-shaped manner in this way,i.e. the rear wall 13 has a C-shaped horizontal cross section. Alead-guiding device 14 a runs vertically along an inner side of the rearwall 13, in the left-hand half of the rear wall 13 in FIG. 2. Thelead-guiding device 14 a is used to support two electrical leads 15 and16 which are electrically connected to a liquid level sensor 17. Theliquid level sensor 17 comprises a first contact sensor part 18 and asecond contact sensor part 19. The two contact sensor parts 18 and 19are arranged in the region of the drip shelf 8. The contact sensor parts18 and 19 terminate at a height H above the floor 20 of the drip shelf8, determining the maximum level. Extending from the two contact sensorparts 18 and 19, the two electrical leads 15 and 16 run parallel witheach other in a vertical direction upwards along the lead-guiding device14 a. The lead-guiding device 14 a has a groove-shaped installationchannel 21. The installation channel 21 should have a shape whichdefines a gap in which the electrical leads 15 and 16 have sufficientspace to be guided upwards between the rear wall 13 and the cover 9. Inorder that the electrical leads 15 and 16 remain in the lead-guidingdevice 14 a even during assembly, i.e. in order that they do not slip,provision is made for a plurality of retaining tabs 22 a, 22 b, 22 c, 22d. One possible shape for a retaining tab 22 a, 22 b, 22 c, 22 d isshown in FIG. 5 in a magnified detailed view. The retaining tabs 22 a,22 b, 22 c, 22 d project alternately from a right-hand edge 23 and aleft-hand edge 24 of the groove-shaped installation channel 21, andtowards the other side in each case. During assembly of the electricalleads 15 and 16, they are inserted in the groove-shaped installationchannel 21 by means of each electrical lead 15 and 16 in turn beingfirst introduced or squeezed behind one retaining tab 22 a, then intothe second retaining tab 22 b and then into the further retaining tabs22 c and 22 d. Instead of two electrical leads 15 and 16, provision canalso be made for a single lead which can have one or more electricalwires.

A further lead-guiding device 14 b runs vertically along the inner sideof the rear wall 13, in the right-hand half of the rear wall 13 in FIG.2. The lead-guiding device 14 b is used to support a hose 29. The hose29 can be used in particular for the discharge of water, e.g.condensation water from an ice cube container, from an upper region ofthe distribution unit into the drip shelf 8. The lead-guiding device 14b has e.g. a first holder 28 a and a second holder 28 b for a respectivecable strap 25 a and 25 b. In addition, each holder 28 a, 28 b has twoopenings 26 a, 26 b and 27 a, 27 b respectively. The openings 26 a, 26b, 27 a, 27 b can be circular apertures in the rear wall 13. Inaddition, each opening 26 a, 26 b, 27 a, 27 b has a diameter which is atleast somewhat larger than the width of the cable strap 25 a, 25 b. Forthe purpose of fastening the hose 23, the cable straps 25 a, 25 b arefirst pushed through the two openings 26 a, 26 b or 27 a, 27 b andguided around the hose. The manner in which the hose 29 is fastened tothe supports 28 a and 28 b by means of the cable straps 25 a, 25 b isshown more clearly in a magnified detailed view in FIG. 6. The hose 29terminates in a lower hose opening 30 just above the drip shelf 8.

FIG. 3 shows the distribution unit as per FIG. 2 along the line A-A withleads installed. In the mounting location that is shown, the cover 9 issituated in its operating position in front of the rear wall 13. Thedrip shelf 8 has a first recess-like bulge 31, which forms a space foraccommodating the two contact sensor parts 18 and 19 of the liquid levelsensor 17. Opposite this first bulge 31 is a second bulge 32, whichforms a filler neck for the discharge of water emerging from the hoseopening 30 into the drip shelf 8.

FIG. 4 shows the distribution unit as per FIG. 2 along the line B-Bwithout leads. FIG. 4 shows a higher cross section than the sectionalong the line A-A. A first lead-guiding device 14 a in the rear wall 13is illustrated on the left-hand side, and a second lead-guiding device14 b in the rear wall 13 is illustrated on the right-hand side. Abovethe drip shelf, the lead-guiding devices 14 a and 14 b havegroove-shaped installation channels 21 a, 21 b for the electrical leads15 and 16 and the hose 29. The groove-shaped installation channels 21 a,21 b form gaps for guiding the electrical leads 15 and 16 and the hose29 between the rear wall 13 and the cover 9 or a housing 33 of thedistribution unit 1.

FIG. 5 shows a magnified perspective partial view of the device forholding the electrical leads 15 and 16 at one of the retaining tabs 22a. A first partial section of the rear wall 13 is shown. The retainingtab 22 a is molded onto the rear wall 13. In order to prevent undercuts,the rear wall 13 is equipped with a window 34, such that the rear walland the retaining tab 22 a can be manufactured as a unitary part usingtools of simple design, e.g. by means of the plastic injection moldingmethod. Starting from a longitudinal edge 35 of the window 34, aretaining section 36 extends perpendicularly outwards relative to theplane of the rear wall 13. The actual tab section 37 extends therefrom,approximately at right angles, on a plane that is parallel with theplane of the rear wall 13. A gap 38 for accommodating the leads 15 and16 is therefore created between the rear wall 13 and the tab section 37.

FIG. 6 shows a magnified perspective partial view of the holder 28 a forone of the cable straps 25 a. A second partial section of the rear wall13 is illustrated. The two circular openings 26 a and 26 b are made inthe rear wall 13. Using the plastic injection molding method formanufacture, the openings 26 a and 26 b can already be incorporated inthe rear wall at low cost in this work stage. The cable strap 25 a isthreaded first through the first opening 26 a from one side of the rearwall 13, and then through the second opening 26 b from the other side ofthe rear wall 13. The hose 29 is then placed in position and fastened tothe rear wall 13 by means of tightening the cable strap 25 a.

1-14. (canceled)
 15. A refrigerator, comprising: a distribution unit; arecess having a rear wall, the rear wall including a removable cover;and at least one lead-guiding device provided in a region behind theremovable cover towards the rear wall.
 16. The refrigerator of claim 15,wherein the rear wall has the lead-guiding device.
 17. The refrigeratorof claim 15, wherein the lead-guiding device is integrated in the rearwall.
 18. The refrigerator of claim 15, wherein the lead-guiding deviceis connected to the rear wall as a unitary part.
 19. The refrigerator ofclaim 15, wherein the lead-guiding device is provided on a rear side ofthe removable cover facing the rear wall.
 20. The refrigerator of claim19, wherein the lead-guiding device is integrated in the removablecover.
 21. The refrigerator of claim 15, wherein the lead-guiding deviceis a groove-shaped installation channel that is open towards theremovable cover.
 22. The refrigerator of claim 21, further comprisingretaining tabs to hold leads and to at least partially cover an openlongitudinal side of the groove-shaped installation channel.
 23. Therefrigerator of claim 21, further comprising a liquid level sensorhaving electrical leads, wherein the groove-shaped installation channelis configured to guide the electrical leads of the liquid level sensor.24. The refrigerator of claim 15, wherein the lead-guiding device isformed by at least one holder for a cable strap.
 25. The refrigerator ofclaim 24, wherein the at least one holder is formed by two openings inthe rear wall through which the cable strap is guided.
 26. Therefrigerator of claim 24, wherein the at least one holder is configuredon a side of the rear wall that faces away from the removable cover. 27.The refrigerator of claim 24, wherein the at least one holder isconfigured to guide a hose from an upper region of the distribution unitinto a drip shelf in order to discharge water.
 28. The refrigerator ofclaim 15, wherein the removable cover is formed by a stainless steelsheet which hides the at least one lead-guiding device.